Tourists leave Mexico as Hurricane Rina closes in
Holidaymakers were forced to flee many of the resorts on Mexico's popular Caribbean coast as Hurricane Rina approached on Wednesday (October 26th).
Although the storm has become weaker as it closes in on land, emergency services advised people in vulnerable areas to take cover and fishing communities along the coast of the Yucatan peninsula were evacuated.
New York City resident Janet Gallo was one of the many tourists deciding to cut short their stay due to the hurricane, which is expected to sweep through Cancun, Cozumel and the Riviera Maya.
"At the hotel, they told us they would make a decision whether to evacuate later today, but we didn't want to wait. We would rather be home when it hits," she told the Associated Press.
Rina was earlier downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane after its maximum sustained winds dropped from 110mph to 85mph.
Tourism director Juan Carlos Gonzalez Hernandez said an estimated 10,000 tourists had left the state of Quintana Roo, where Cancun is located, by Wednesday night.
